Centaurs
|upkeep_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |ranged = |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = Ranged Attack x6 }} Centaurs are a type of Normal Unit. This unit is unique to the Beastmen race, and may only be created at a Beastmen town, for the Construction Cost of . The town must already contain both a Barracks and a Stables for this to be possible. Centaurs are similar to Cavalry in many ways - a light, fast-moving Melee Attack unit. Against weak enemy units (like Bowmen) it will charge in for a swift kill, just like Cavalry. However, Centaurs do not possess a First Strike ability, but instead have a Ranged Attack. They use their speed not to charge at enemies, but to get close enough to them to use this Ranged Attack without risking themselves. When the enemy is sufficiently weakened, other units, including the Centaurs themselves, can swoop in for the kill. Centaurs require an Upkeep Cost of and to maintain. Failure to pay these costs will result in the unit being disbanded automatically. Unit Properties Physical Description Centaurs are unusual creatures, humanoid in appearance, but having the body of a horse below the waist. They walk on all fours, and are fast when galloping, but have human hands for manipulating items. The Centaurs' primary weapon is a sword, but they also carry a short bow for attacking enemies at close range. Centaurs are allied with the Beastmen, and serve an important function in their army. In real-world Greek mythology, Centaurs were known for a love of wine and women, and were often getting themselves into trouble due to either (or, most commonly, both). Centaurs are a , containing when fully healed. Attack Properties Centaurs have a fairly-strong , though they are weaker than Swordsmen and will only cause damage consistently to weak Normal Units. They also possess a basic on par with the average Bowmen. They may use this Ranged Attack up to 6 times in each battle. The Centaurs' speed allows them to get much closer to their target before using this Ranged Attack, thus increasing the overall amount of damage they can do with it. Each Centaur attacks with . With no additional bonuses, this delivers an average damage output of about , meaning that this attack is mainly useful against low-tier Normal Units. Armored opponents may suffer some damage, but only rarely. Alternatively, each Centaur can attack with . This attack delivers an average damage output of only , and must be used in close proximity to the target to avoid To Hit distance penalties (which would reduce this output further). Still, with attacking in unison, this can cause some serious damage to a lightly-armored target. Note that the Centaurs do not possess First Strike like normal Cavalry. Therefore, charging into Melee combat does not minimize risk to the unit. This is why Centaurs will likely fire arrows at their target a few times before charging in. Defense Properties Centaurs possess a Defense score of , which is average for a Normal Unit. They can deflect about from any damage source, on average. This can help against weak opponents, but will not save the unit against any decent attack. On the other hand, each Centaur possesses , for a total of for a fully-healthy unit. This helps keep the Centaurs in the battle a little longer. Centaurs prefer weakening their target with Ranged Attacks first, to reduce retaliation damage when the unit finally charges at its target. For purposes of defending against Curses and other combat maledictions, the Centaurs have a fairly-low Resistance score of - barely enough to protect them from such effects. Other Properties Centaurs are faster than most Normal Units, moving at . This is crucial for getting into close proximity with the target to utilize the maximum effectiveness of their Ranged Attack, and to keep their distance from enemy units. Basic Strategy Centaurs are similar to Cavalry in many ways, but the lack of a First Strike ability means that they do not readily charge into their targets like Cavalry does. Instead, they will minimize distance to the target, make several Ranged Attacks at it to weaken it, and only then move in to kill the remnants - assuming the target has been sufficiently weakened. When a target has been picked, the Centaurs use their ample speed to move to within 2 tiles of it. They then use their Ranged Attack as many times as necessary to reduce the number of in the enemy unit to a point where it does not pose a significant danger anymore. Once this is achieved, the Centaurs can move in to use their Melee Attack, or allow other friendly units to engage this weakened target. To avoid being attacked by the enemy, Centaurs can use their speed to retreat and shoot. They can move one tile away from an advancing target, then use their remaining Movement Points to fire at it. This can be repeated again and again, assuming that the target cannot match the Centaurs' speed. Alternatively, Centaurs can be used to quickly reach and destroy enemy Ranged Attack units in the enemy's rear. Such units often pose little threat to the Centaurs in Melee combat, so the Centaurs will likely want to charge in at them instead of exchanging Ranged Attacks. These tactics mean that the Centaurs are less of a direct assault unit and more of a skirmisher unit. They are less useful against enemy low-tier Fantastic Creatures than Cavalry are, as they are likely to suffer serious damage and cannot easily damage well-armored units with their Ranged Attack. Still, Centaurs can easily weaken and/or destroy enemy Normal Units. Ability Overview Ranged Attack x6 * This unit may use a instead of a Melee Attack up to 6 times in each battle. Once the unit's ammo is expended, it must resort to Melee Attacks. Experience Table The following table illustrates how Centaurs improve as they gain Experience. Any properties that are not listed here do not improve with Experience in any way. * To achieve this level, either the Warlord Retort or the Crusade spell must be in play. ** To achieve this level, both the Warlord Retort and the Crusade spell must be in play simultaneously. Average Damage Output The table below details the average amount of damage that each in a Centaurs unit will deliver with each type of attack, based on . It can be used in comparison to the target's Defense rating to figure out the chance of hurting that target. Acquisition Centaurs are unique to the Beastmen race, and thus may be produced in any Beastmen Town. A town must contain both a Barracks and a Stables to be able to produce Centaurs. Should a town lose an existing Barracks or Stables, it can no longer produce Centaurs until replacement structures are built. The Construction Cost of this unit is . Centaurs may appear for hire as Mercenaries. They may already have some Experience on being hired, and several units may be hired simultaneously. Hiring these units requires a certain cost in that depends on many different factors. Centaur Mercenaries have the same Upkeep Cost as a normally-constructed unit. Category:Units Category:Normal Units Category:Beastmen